Roof top vs quick erect tent

[eatlovelearn Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eatlovelearn]

we have a heavy duty canvas freedom tent , very easy to put up and extremely durable , can handle very high winds , also comes with a separate fly that you can back the car up to and use the rear door for cooking if you have the diy table .
only problem is weight , but it all fits on the roof nicely .
have had many light weight dome and various other tents and would not go back .

cheers marty

[paulyc Member Find all posts View Profile Close paulyc]

We have the oztrail tourer 9 plus, it probably would take a bit longer to put up compared to the blackwolf or oztent but I don't think much. It is however a considerable amount cheaper, which was one of the main reasons we got it. I would recommend getting the side pole kit with it though, makes the tent more user friendly. we usually use a double height queen blowup mattress and still have plenty of room for storing clothes etc.

[pete8205 Member Find all posts View Profile Close pete8205]

I had roof top tent for a 4 week trip up the cape and for a couple its my favourite tent for travelling and my wife loved it especially after we fitted a foam matress underlay. considering previous big trip was 4 weeks in a swag (birdsville innaminka). I only sold it to buy a camper trailer (kid friendly).
we travelled with friends who had a tent and i'd go the roof top hands down every time for ease and comfort.
for day trips it only took 5 min to pack up and generaly we would only open it when were thinking of bed as it was only 5 min tent up bed made.
yes fitment and removal is a 2 man job to lift on/off the roof racks which needs to be considered along with storage but if you only want it for the 1 trip you can sell it afterwards

the brand I had was a pinnacle wholesales roof top tent which was same as ARB old style and less then half the cost and worked a treat.

my 2cents, pete

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Just to throw a cat umungst the pigeons, I bought a Queen size swag and a screened enclosure, I figured this was a quick and simple way to camp, The enclosure is light and easy to put up, and you can set up your kitchen and seating in it, so if it rains your still under cover, and the swag just rolls out, It is a very large one too, so if it does rain, I still have plenty of room, unlike a tent or rooftop.
Dont get me wrong, I still love my tent, but there are times where I dont want the tent, like hot summer days. With the roof top, once you set up, thats it, you cant move, and check out some sights, unless you pull it down.

[Snowy FNQ Member Find all posts View Profile Close Snowy FNQ]

After ground tenting it for twenty odd years, we love our roof topper. Away from the groundwater and crocs, I can mount it on the trailer for longer trips for a poor mans camper with a gazebo for an annex. It's just so much better protection against the elements for the two of us then a tent on the ground. The mattress is certainly not the best, "65mm luxury" the ads read, they're pretty damn hard, a $30 egg shell foam overlay is a great fix for that. Getting down the ladder in the middle of the night for a comfort break is also enough to put some people off. They are not everyones cup of tea for sure, but it suits us. I will buy a camper down the track, Vista RV or Jayco probably. But I need a bigger shed

[Clackers Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Clackers]

We are thinking about getting a rooftop but are after some advice from the experienced users here. If you need to pack up and go for a drive, how do you keep your "spot" from being taken? ie lay a tarp on the ground and peg it out?? This is the only thing holding us back!!

[chester ver 2.0 Member Find all posts View Profile Close chester ver 2.0]

Gave 1 a go and hated it for the following reasons
1 You have to pack it up every time you go for a drive
2 Packed fre for all areas lost the spot every time we went for a drive
3 Every time one of you needs to pee it is up and down the ladder
4 Every time someone rolls over it is like being inside a boat\
5 Hit 2 Mcdonalds height signs and 1 shopping centre car park
6 It is like having a giant sail on the roof

Never again now for quick runs involving overnighters Side awning and 2 swags anything longer and the camper is coming

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

well i have to to give the thumbs up to the quick erect tent, my wallet is lighter thanks to the camping show in newcastle, got an oztent rv5 with peaked side panels and tag along tent, plus awning poles and spreader pole plus an oztent multitool delivered to my door for $1990, i will give it a run at easter up the coast somewhere. I like the versitility of the oxtent where if its just me and the mrs we can take the tent itself or with the tinlids we just take the peaked side and the tage along. cheers samo

[adamr7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adamr7]

Im with Samo, cheers for the quick erection.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

yep adam7 quickeys are great. lol cheers samo

[vk2ss55 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vk2ss55]

Wil...I was in Africa and saw loads of Hannibal rooftop tents . I saw quite a few vehicles with 2 of them..opening out to opposite sides of the vehicle . I saw a Cruiser with the tent opening to the front with the props onto the bullbar...not a bad idea !

Cheers

Ross

[Braydo Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Braydo]

We did a 3 week trip up the cape in 2010. I reckon the roof top for that type of touring was great. We were in each spot no longer than 2 nigths, and the ease of setup was great. I'm one for setting up and relaxing though, when you have driven all day, I don't see the need to go for a drive after I set up camp. Thats the time to take the load off the Engel I reckon.
Ours is an Austrack brand, cost $1100 all up and that included an annexure that zipped on to create a room under the fold out bit. I didn't like the annexure, but the Mrs liked it for "organising" herself in the mornings. It had a zip door int he back, so when folded over the side or back you can access through the annex to the vehice. Saves getting all your clothing etc out of the car.
Found the main points were that it dried better, as we were setting up and packing up every day, if we had a tent on the ground, the underside would be hard to dry before packing up.
Setting up after its been raining, didn't have to worry about ground sheets.
Don't have to worry about rocky ground. Only thing was levelling up, but can be done easy enough with a rock, or a shovel.
Beach camping, you don't have to worry about pulling sand into the tent. You can literally pull up on the beach and set up camp.
Actually very roomy, think ours was 2.4m long, and once up you would be surprised how much room was in there.

[karlmagoo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close karlmagoo]

Looking into this at the moment, already have quick pop up tents for really small trips, roof tops offer a lot of positives though as already stated, reckon ill just pull up at camp, break out the table, chairs, erect a quick tarp shade and set the rooftop up later in the day incase i want to go exploring, safety issue,s of course but tent/camper trailer left unattended offers easily the same temptation to would-be thieves regardless. Pee bucket upstairs maybe?.



cheers

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Wil...I was in Africa and saw loads of Hannibal rooftop tents . I saw quite a few vehicles with 2 of them..opening out to opposite sides of the vehicle . I saw a Cruiser with the tent opening to the front with the props onto the bullbar...not a bad idea !

Cheers
Ross

The Hannibal Rooftop tent is the top of the range amungst all the other brands on the market, you do pay more for them, however the quality of the tent is 100 times better than the cheap chinese ones that ARB, Roo Systems, Tigers11, ect. but is well worth it, if you do end up getting a RTT, do your research, look at the tent body/canvas, the more you pay the better the quality. How do I know this you may ask???? well I make them.

[SOL Find all posts View Profile Close SOL]

I have a question about the roof tents. Do you use stabiliser legs to stop the vehicle rocking whilst you are up top?

SOL.